Science is now a bit rock and roll thanks to television presenters such as Professors Brian Cox and Alice Roberts. Prior to the current crop of camera-friendly geniuses we had Patrick Moore, Dr. Carl Sagan, James Burke and programmes such as Tomorrows World. Books by the likes of Professor Stephen Hawking and Dr. Neil de Grasse Tyson have made science a little easier to understand for us mere mortals. With colossal colliders smashing particles together at unbelievable speeds, mathematical equations explaining almost everything, medical advances unimaginable just one lifetime ago it is exciting and sexy. One of the best television comedy shows is based around science; check out The Big Bang Theory. You do not require a degree to laugh with the cleverly crafted stories and characters.
But there still are dogged scientist carrying out the old style experimental study. This is the story of what has been called the world’s most boring experiment, completely lacking in excitement and mind bogglingly mundane.
For years I have been intrigued by one of nature’s weirdest and most isolated phenomena, the moving rocks in Death Valley. In a secluded corner of Death Valley National Park these rocks have been recorded as, but not actually seen, moving across level surfaces. The rocks, some weighing around 300 kilos (661lbs or 47 stone, equivalent to more than 2 England front row forwards), cover many meters and leave trails in the soil. Keeping to the Rugby theme these rocks are like Jona Lomu, weighing in at 120kg, in that nothing that heavy should move like that. I was lucky enough to see Jona play at Twickenham. Fast, agile with an awesome change of pace allied to his ability to dodge and swerve he was unbelievable. A perfect analogy when you see the trails left by the rocks. But I digress, back to the narrative.
Up until recently no one had been able to show how the rocks moved. At last the solution has been provided by a group of researchers and volunteers led by paleo biology professor Dr. Richard Norris. Back in 2011 they attached GPS units to 15 rocks and placed them in the dry lake formation where the moving rocks are found. Famous as the hottest place on earth and driest place in North America Death Valley holds the world record highest air temperature of 134°F (57°C) in 1913. Summer temperatures often top 120°F (49°C) in the shade with overnight lows dipping into the 90s°F (mid-30s°C.) Average rainfall is less than 2 inches (5 cm), a fraction of what most deserts receive. So Dr. Norris and his team did not stay to monitor the equipment. They headed back to a more comfortable environment with the plan to pop back now and again. In December 2013, Dr. Norris and his engineer cousin Jim paid a visit to check on their equipment. To their surprise they discovered the area was flooded with water. They then witnessed the rock moving phenomenon first-hand. Richard said “Science sometimes has an element of luck. We expected to wait five or ten years without anything moving, but only two years into the project, we just happened to be there at the right time.”
The researchers discovered that the rocks move only under a set of very specific conditions.
First water must flood the area to a level just deep enough for the bases of the rocks to be surrounded by a thin “windowpane” of ice.
If these “panes” are the right size and thickness even a light wind can be enough to move the ice-ringed rocks.
Once in motion, the rocks move in fits and starts, sometimes making abrupt changes in direction as the wind shifts. Conditions can vary so that the size of the rocks that can be moved also varies. Sometimes only smaller ones move, other times the really big ones shift.
The flooding is extremely infrequent and it is estimated that 2006 was the last time the conditions were potentially perfect for any rock movement. The rocks were an enigma until the solution was found. Part of me wishes the answer had not been discovered as it was nice to imagine the more exotic proposals about Aliens, mysterious forces or shadowy men in black.
November column
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